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Stop Being A Jerk On The Internet (A Rant...)

The modern world is such an exciting place to be, we can really let our creativity flow and share our opinions so easily nowadays - whether it be writing it down in a blog, voicing your thoughts in the form of a vlog, showing your feelings through photography or even just simply writing a short comment, these opinions can be shared instantly and may potentially reach a huge audience of people. There are so many new individuals every day creating amazing material and sharing it with the world through the internet, mainly just because it's what they love doing and it makes them happy to have an opinion that is being listened to; whether it be with a big audience or just a few people! 'Hate' is a huge problem for anyone who chooses to put themselves out there on the internet, there are always going to be people who disagree with what you have to say; and a lot of the time the comments you may receive in reply are far from constructive criticism and can often take on a more personal approach. Luckily, as a small blogger the negativity I have received is minimal in comparison to others that I have seen, however, I know this is something that will effect me as my blog grows. Despite not having many personal experiences of internet hate, I have obviously come across many of these jealous comments in the past that are aimed at others and I hope that this post will reach both those who are dealing with this type of hate and those who are writing these nasty comments.

Let's face it, we're all human and we have judged other's in the past, it's part of our human nature. We might see someone and think 'woah, her makeup is so strong' or 'wow, I wouldn't have worn those shoes with that top!' But would you ever dream of shouting these negative thoughts at someone whilst walking down the street? Probably not, in fact a lot of you probably wouldn't even dream of writing a negative comment to someone on the internet - since a lot of us take the 'if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all' approach to life, as we should. But the point is, shouting out this negative comment just wouldn't be socially acceptable and you don't know how it would effect the person or how they would react. So why do some people find it 'normal' to write negative comments about people on the internet - is this not the same as saying it to their face? This is usually due to the power of anonymity, commenters can hide behind their profiles and never even show their face - all the while spreading nasty comments around the internet from the hideout that is their bedroom. A lot of the time, these negative commenters hold many insecurities of their own and they feel the need to bring others down to give them a feeling that they have control and are 'better' than the person they are aiming their comments at.

Hate can come in so many different forms, whether it be just a 'simple' personal insult - ugly and fat are two words that I often see thrown out there to offend others and I feel like these are words that are just used so casually nowadays especially in the digital world. But when you step back and think about the bigger picture, these 'casual' words don't have such a casual effect and can have a real mental impact on someone. Jealousy is also a huge aspect of hate comments, I instantly think about big YouTubers when I think of jealousy comments, particularly when it comes to money, since many 'haters' tend to have such a jealous view towards the amount of money these internet creators make yet they forget the amount of work that goes into every video. (They also seem to forget that voicing these angry, jealous comments won't get rid of their money, nor will it make the commenter gain money!!) The worst comments by far and the ones that really annoy me the most, are the ones that start with 'no offence but...', people seem to forget that just because you wrapped your negative comment in a pretty bow and said 'no offence' this doesn't take away any of the hate that you are inflicting on people. These comments will still effect people in the same negative way as it would if you were straight to the point!

The real harsh truth is that negative commenters need to remember that they do not know these people personally, you can't physically know what is going on inside that person's head - therefore, you really don't know how your negative comment can effect them. Some people can easily just brush off these comments and won't let it effect them, either because they've received their fair share of hate in the past and now know how to deal with it or just because they are thicker skinned and have perhaps been brought up to brush off negativity. However, others may have a harder time letting these comments go and they may let this negativity really effect them - the build up of multiple hate comments and the stresses of daily life can really get to some people and one comment may really take them over the edge. You never know what could happen, do you really want to be responsible? The fact is, you don't know what people are already dealing with, so why add to this stress that they are already potentially dealing with?!

So, although I know that my audience and the blogging community is generally a positive place to be, to anyone out there who happens to be reading this who 'enjoys' (?) spreading hate comments around the internet I urge you to please stop. Take a step back and look a the bigger picture, it might feel good in the moment to press send on that jealous comment but what do you actually gain from that in the long term? Trust me when I say positivity is a much better way to live, not only will it improve your well being by making you a happier person but it will also improve happiness of the internet creators! Whether you choose to not comment at all, or turn that negative energy into positivity by leaving happier comments, your decision to stop leaving hate comments can help to make the internet a more positive and safe place to be. It really wouldn't hurt to try!

Also, I just want to say for anyone reading this who is dealing with bullying or online hate, feel free to comment below, so we can all help eachother out by sharing our ideas or thoughts about dealing with these hate comments, or come along to twitter (@jemmasimplelife) if you would like a chat! Just remember that you are never alone, so don't stay silent if you are struggling - there are always so many people out there who are willing to help, and who may be going through the same experiences! I also urge you to block and report anyone who spreads this type of negativity so we can really put a stop to internet hate.

8 comments
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Well said! I haven't experienced internet hate yet either but I see it everywhere! I don't always agree with people but I usually keep it to myself if I can't say it in a nice way. People cause way to much drama. It's not necessary!Kiersten @ Autumn Country Girl

I couldn't agree with you more, I always keep negative comments to myself and I just don't understand why these internet haters can't seem to get into this mindset too?! I'm sure that none of them would shout it down the street so why say these things over the internet?! It really puzzles me! Thanks for your lovely comment! x

YES. THIS. Like, I would rather not leave not a comment than leave a negative or destructive one, and I really can't understand people who go out of their way to be negative.

I had to start moderating comments because this year I got a guy saying he was going to bring zip ties and ducttape to my door for being a feminist, or people who would go on about hating my blog and what I wrote ( i always thought then don't read it? but that seems to much for them to understand).

Thankfully it's calmed down a lot now, but there was a time where it got so bad I stopped blogging for a year or two, and I was only a young teenager who was very self-concious! And being told that everyone hated you by anonymous comment (they're never brave enough to give themselves a name or face) but one of the worst things I've ever experienced.

Anyways, I;m rambling, but I couldn't agree with this post more! I loved it, it's so important that people speak up about hate, because it can be such a big issue, and even if it doesn't affect a blogger personally, it does affect a lot of us, and I think it's amazing that you wrote this.

Thanks so much for your lovely comment, it really made me smile! I'm so glad you agree! You literally are spot on there, like I really would love to get into these people's heads and just see why they leave these comments - like they get NOTHING out of it at all! I can't believe you got those horrible comments just for voicing your opinion, everyone is entitled to an opinion and you shouldn't have to moderate your comments or stop blogging because of it!! :( I also really don't understand why they don't just stop reading if they don't agree.. it's not like anyone is forcing them to read!

Well said! There is far too much hate in the world already so why spread more?! There are times that I dislike or disagree with something but I don't always have to voice my opinion. I only say things that I'd be happy for other people to say. We need more love & positivity in the world as well as on twitter. I've only ever had one experience of internet hate but it was a real shock as I'd never met or even spoken to this girl. She used really nasty words to insult me purely because I had a different view on something to her.Great post :-) Kate xwww.kateiscoveting.wordpress.com

I couldn't agree more with you and I really don't understand why these people can't take on the same approach as us and (like you said) only say things that they'd be happy for other people to say to them! Especially like in your experience where she hadn't even met you! It annoys me so much x